About Direkt Influence
Direkt Influence is a collective of artists, musicians, MCs, promoters, designers based in Utica, NY. They do not operate as a corporate entity, but rather as like-minded individuals seeking to network and collaborate. They believe that working together with a positive attitude will produce a greater influence than by working separately. Through this philosophy they intend t
o build, establish and maintain a sustainable culture of artistic expression and dance music in Central New York and beyond. (Old mission statement for posterity)
The Beginning
Direkt Influence Productions was established in summer of 2004 by Mike Swanson (Swan 7) and Chris Kupiec, with the help of Resonance Productions, a local visual/performance arts organization. The partnership of the two organizations fostered our first events, at the Dragon Bar at 666 Bleeker St, in Utica NY. This is when Ralphie (the Giver) and Djinn (S.O.E.) began performing with us, and were officially signed to Direkt Influence. This was about the same time that Kyle Riecker (Egzail) returned to the CNY area after living in Orlando, Florida, where he was studying recording arts at Full Sail Univeristy. He was ecstatic to learn that his old friends (Mike and Chris) were producing and promoting raves. Together they formed the core unit of what is today�s Direkt Influence crew. Our First Events
After a successful run of 4 parties at the Dragon Bar (after parties upstairs in the Resonance Studio) we began looking into bigger venues for a major event. A Resonance member referred the DI crew to Art Space, formerly Virgo Bats on Genesee St. The owner was happy to hold an event at his venue, which was simply a photography studio/art gallery on one floor, and 3 floors of warehouse storage. We scheduled the first in a series of parties for November 27th, 2004. DI decided to go with 2 floors of music, and one floor of chill atmosphere. We had handed out flyers at another event the past weekend, and did not know what to expect. When Art Space filled past capacity on 2 floors, the crew realized the party was a success. However at 3 in the morning, 10-15 local police busted into Art Space, breaking up the party just as its intensity reached a peak. Upstairs was crazy, Elusive and Parkay were tagging, and the whole place was shaking. Thats just about when the lights flicked on. However, this served as a learning experience. It also put Direkt Influence on the map as an underground force that didn't give a f**k what it takes to throw a good party. These are some principals that we still follow today. Who We Are Today
Direkt Influence Productions has changed a lot since its inception in 2004. Now in our fifth year of business, we have become a household name in the Upstate Club scene. Our roster is diverse enough to provide any Electronic Music Genre requested, from House to Hardcore and beyond. Because of this diversity we possess the ability to cater to a huge variety of audiences. Since Direkt Influence�s inception our scouts have scoured upstate New York for promising new DJs with the ability and drive to succeed. In the process we have set up several branches in other upstate cities including Syracuse and Albany. We have become widely known for giving a start to some of New York�s most gifted and upcoming deejays. In a nutshell we are fighting for the little man with the drive and talent, but without the means of making their aspirations a reality. We take great pride in this, and continue to scout for fresh faces and undiscovered talent in the future. Our Artists
We currently have several DJs and one MC who perform for us, making us the one of the largest DJ collectives in our region. We have established ourselves enough in our home base of Upstate New York that a local event without at least one of our DJs is few and far between. However we are not strictly regional. Our talent has been featured at some of the largest and most influential Electronic Music events and Festivals in the world, including WEMF and the WMC events in Miami, Fl. Our artists have also been featured in lineups as far away at Taiwan. Many of our artists have also delved into the world of music production, with notable releases on several local and national labels. Our Events
Our events have constantly set standards for production value and unique themes and creative ideas to keep the party fresh. We constantly try to improve party to party; our goal is making each event better than the previous. With a dedicated team of promoters and DJs, Direkt Influence is armed with the right tools and skills to several throw top notch events a year. With too many events to count under our belt, we have the experience and know how to provide the ultimate radical audio visual experience. Working with almost every crew in the upstate region; our DJ's have preformed with some of the top talent in the world, including the likenesses of Steve Smooth, DB, Thomas Penton, Huda Hudia, AK1200, DJ Irene, Nigel Richards, Jen Mas, OS/2, Paladin 5.1, Ewun, Jelo, Angel Alanis, Ralphie C, Josh the Funky 1 , Charles Feelgood, ODI, Shy FX, Donald Glaude, and many more. Where to Go From Here
We take pride in the underground community we serve, and hope to better people's lives through self expression, community and dance. This is the primary reason Direkt Influence keeps in touch with the true counter culture, gladly performing at venues both large and small, outdoor events and house parties alike. Money is not important, and is secondary. The main concern is throwing quality events, and directly influencing our audience to keep the global dance scene alive and thriving in our area. This is what separates us from the pack. Look for much more to come from Direkt Influence Productions in the future.
